Kahlua Brownies | How to Jazz up Boxed brownies & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

I generally don't go for boxed brownies, why them when you can whip up some delicious fudgy brownies in a matter of minutes. But a friend of mine does so and she included a couple of boxes in a gift hamper that she gave me recently. Well I wanted to jazz them up and these kahlua brownies were a good choice. You get a very faint hint of the Kahlua and it just adds additional chocolaty-ness. These make perfect last minute inclusions in your holiday hamper because all you need to do is grab a brownie box and jazz them up just as I did.

On that note, I am ending this year with these brownies. I have a super yummy cake lined up to start the new year with and you will surely love it. Till then HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAVE A GREAT YEAR AHEAD.

~*What U Need*~ Boxed brownie - 1 box Melted butter to replace the oil Instant coffee - 1 tsp Kahlua liquor - to replace the water Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup Walnuts - 1/2 cup Eggs - as per instructions How I Made it: Make the brownies following instructions on the back of the box replacing the oil with butter and the water with Kahlua. Add the coffee powder and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake as instructed.

Serve with a glass of milk!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Longan Walnut Muffin by Uginia Eugenia Uniflora

Longan Walnut Muffin

Serving: 10 muffins

Ingredients:
75g Dried longan
150g Yakult
2 Eggs
100g Brown Sugar
100g Butter, melt
160g Plain flour
Pinch of salt
1tsp Baking powder
1/2tsp Baking soda
80g walnut - roast and cut into cubes (keep 30g to sprinkle on top of muffin before baking)

Method:
1) Soak dried longan into Yakult for 1hr.
2) Drain the soaked longan, yakult set aside for later use.
3) Beat eggs and sugar until well combined. Then add in cooled melted butter and Yakult to mix well.
4) In another bowl, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to mix well. Then add all dry mixed ingredients into the batter and mix until well combined.
5) Use spatula to mix dried longan and 50g walnut into the batter.
6) Scoop the batter into cupcake liners about 80% full. Sprinkle the remainder walnut on top of the batter.
7) Bake in preheated oven of 180℃ for 20-25mins

Pastel de calabaza y espinacas con curry. Sin lactosa y ligero.

Una receta sana y muy invernal para estos días de "supuestos excesos"... Calabaza... Y pensaréis  que volvemos a otoño y Halloween... No, tranquis. Es una  receta salada, muy nutritiva (huevos, nata, espinaca...) Y con pocas calorías. El plato perfecto para quien quiere cuidarse (yo tengo que confesar que en estas fechas no suelo atiborrarme de dulces porque no me atraen mucho... Thank God!)

La calabaza va con todo, es muy versátil en la cocina, desde dulces a salados; con queso, con cebolla, con setas, con espinacas, con miel, con nueces, con una crumble, con manzana, con pera, con curries, con estofados, merengue de calabaza... Paro que ya os veo poniendo caras.

En fin, que nada, que hice esta receta que suelo hacer. Esta vez le puse a mi tarta la querida Phyllo  (en vez de la tradicional quebrada o de hojaldre) Me encanta la Phyllo porque es muy ligera (Os confieso que no pongo mantequilla entre las capas para este pastel) y queda muy crujiente. Pero no os voy a poner una receta de las que me gusta a mi. Así que nada de picantes ni sabores contraste  (soy mucho de curry hot, chilli, cilantro, comino, lima, semillas de mostaza, semillas de cardamomo... Y esos sabores sé que no les gustan a todos. Así que no los subo) ¡Imagino vuestra cara de alivio!

Esta tarta/ pastel/ quiché con calabaza y espinacas, y un poco de curry (sé que he dicho arriba que no pondría nada raro, pero es que le da el contrapunto al dulzor de la calabaza que seguro que os gusta) es deliciosa. Y si no podéis con el curry (yo esta vez usé Garam Massala que compré en Lavapiés en Madrid) pues no lo ponéis y punto.

Esta quiché/ tarta es tirada de hacer. Pones la Phyllo en el molde, rehogas la calabaza y las espinacas, mezclas con la nata y los huevos, horneas... Et voilà! (como diría Poirot) Rica, sana y rápida. Yo la tomo de acompañamiento. Pero puede ser un plato único para los poco comedores. Hoy no os echo más rollo (ya, es que hoy estoy en ralentí... Sois afortunados... Mis biblias otro día... )

Ingredientes:

200 ml de nata para cocinar 18% Materia Grasa (yo usé Kaiku sin lactosa)
400 gr. de calabaza (orientativo)
200 gr. de espinacas (yo usé congeladas)
4 huevos
1 C.Sopera de curry (Garam Massala, curry normal...)
Sal
Aceite
50ml de salsa de tomate
4 hojas de pasta Phyllo
1 trozo de queso tipo Gouda o San Simón da Costa (el que os guste) en dados

Preparación:

• Antes de nada engrasad un molde y cubrir los laterales (fundamentalmente) con papel de cocinar. Reservar.
• Descongelad las espinacas (yo lo suelo hacer en el microondas porque se queda sin agua)
• Pelad y trocead la calabaza en dados de 2 cm. (más o menos)
• En una sartén amplia poned un fondo de aceite (es decir, que cubra toda la base de la sartén) y echad la calabaza. Saltead y dejad que se haga a calor medio- bajo. Sazonad con sal e incorporad el curry.

• Una vez está tierna pero firme agregad las espinacas. Mezclad.

• Incorporad la salsa de tomate.

• Reservad.
• En un bowl batid los huevos como para tortilla. Incorporad la nata. 

• Verted la calabaza y espinacas. Mezclad bien.

• Echad la mezcla sobre la masa phyllo.

• Echad los trocitos de queso y mezclar. Yo lo echo una vez está en el molde porque quiero que me quede por la superficie. Mezclo un poco pero no demasiado.

• Tened el horno precalentado entre 170º-180ºC
• Horneadla hasta que esté cuajada (más o menos unos 30 minutos hasta 40 minutos)

• A mí me gusta caliente, pero también se puede comer fría (up to you)

¡Espero que os guste!

Chocolate Icecream | A David Leobitz recipe

Come on guys, lets take a break and chill out. And what best way than icecream. I wanted to take a break from the cookies but wanted to keep up with the season of sweetness and indulgence and this chocolate icecream is just right. Something about winter and chillness makes me have icecreams. And when it is chocolate, I have to go for it.
I have become a firm believer of "you taste what you add" after having this icecream. I used Ghiradelli chocolate and that is what tasted in every bite. Its rich, its smooth, its creamy and it is absolutely chocolate-y. So I strongly urge you to use the best quality chocolate that you can lay hands on.

~*What U Need*~ Heavy cream - 1 cup Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp Semisweet chocolate - 70 g, I used Ghiradelli Whole milk - 1/2 cup Sugar - 6 tbsp Medium egg yolks - 3 Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: Warm 1/2 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Or whisk the mixture every 1 hour to remove the ice crystals for 3hours and then freeze overnight.

Serve with love!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Graham Balls by Gwen Chow

Graham Balls

Recipe:

200 g graham crakers (crushed)
3/4 tin condensed milk
1 packet marshmallows

Crush crackers and mix with condensed milk to form a dough.
Wrap marshmallow in the middle.
Coat with icing sugar and leave to dry for 2 to 3 hrs. (I placed into fridge)

I used the chocolate marie biscuit in place of graham crackers, thus the chocolate looking balls. I thought recipe would be very sweet but surprisingly it's not!

Reese's Peanut Butter Chips & Dark Chocolate Chips Cookies by Vanessa Tay

Reese's Peanut Butter Chips & Dark Chocolate Chips Cookies

Link: http://www.bakinglanguage.com/?p=213

{RECIPE}
Yield approximately 80 pieces of standard small-sized (around 5-cm diameter) cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour (approx. 240.97g)
1 & 2/3 cups (8½ ounces) bread flour (approx. 240.97g)
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1¼ cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar (approx. 283.50g) (I reduced to 250g and used muscovado sugar)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar (approx. 226.80g) (I reduced to 200g)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250g dark chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao content  and
283g (one pack) Reese’s peanut butter chocolate chips
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
3. Divide the dough into smaller portions. I divided them into 4 balls. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 140 degree celsius.. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
5. Scoop a heaped teaspoon dough, roll into a rough ball and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat until you have finished the dough. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. I did mine for 15 minutes. Transfer the parchment or silicone sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto another cooling rack to cool a bit more, until just warm or at room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough (or keep some of the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bake cookies at a later time). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Note:
(1) I am not able to find kosher salt (which is coarser and less chemical taste) and so substituted with sea salt. As my sea salt is fine type, I replaced with 1 tsp. If your sea salt is coarse type, you may still use 1 1/2 tsp.
(2) You may make your cookies a bigger size but would need to adjust and increase the baking temperature (maybe to around 170 deg cel) and baking time to approximately 18 – 20 minutes.
(3) As the dough balls will spread during baking, there is no need to flatten the dough balls before baking.
(4) I would likely further reduce the sugar amount as the peanut butter chips are sweet.
(5) Reason why I like to divide the dough into smaller packs for chilling is to allow me to bake the cookies in batches. I would take out the pack of chilled dough from the fridge before baking. If you are taking out all the chilled dough, it will become too soft and you might need to put it back in the fridge before taking out to roll into the cookie size again.

Chee Cheong Fun with You Tiao by Ronnie Chan

Chee Cheong Fun with You Tiao

Recipe

Tom Yum Chicken Cutlet by Ronnie Chan

Tom Yum Chicken Cutlet

Recipe

Thai Beef Soup Rice Vermicelli by Ronnie Chan

Thai Beef Soup Rice Vermicelli

Recipe

Coin Prata by Ronnie Chan

Coin Prata

Recipe

Rustic Apple Pie by Karen Yee

Rustic Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Shell

300 cups flour 
2 tbsp sugar 
½  tsp salt 
½ tsp of baking powder (this really makes the crust extra yummy)
250g cold unsalted butter, cubed 
2 egg yolk
2 tbsp ice water 

For the Filling

5 green apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
40 grams granulated white sugar
55 grams light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (tossed into the sliced apples to prevent browning)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 220 degree celsius. Place the rack to the lowest of the oven.

For the pie shell, mix all the ingredients together except water.
When the mixture is crumbly, add water. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour 
to bind. Add 1 tbsp. at a time. Divide into 2 portions and press into a disc.
Wrap the dough up and chill for 30 mins.
Press one portion of the cold dough into you 8" pie pan and chill it while you prefer the 
filling.

For the filling, toss all the ingredients together except butter.
Meantime, roll out the 2nd piece of dough for the top crust. 
Arrange the apple slices onto your pie shell you have already prepared in the fridge.

**Do not pour in too much excess liquid left in your bowl as your pie  may turn out to be 
very soggy.

Gently lay the 2nd piece of dough to cover the entire pie. Trim of excess dougn hanging 
over the edges and crim the edges with a fork.

Using a knife, make 2 to 3 slits in the centre of the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Brush the top with an egg wash (mix one egg with 1 tbsp of water)

Place the pie pan onto a baking sheet and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or till the 
apples feel tender when you insert a knife into it.

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving.

Braised Pork Belly (Kong Bah Bao) by Vanessa Tay

Braised Pork Belly

Ingredient

500g Pork Belly

4 Ginger - thick slice 

6 Cloves Garlic - whole without skin

5 shallot - thick slice

Seasoning 

2 tbsp Premium Light Soya Sauce

2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce with Caramel

3 tbsp Oyster Sauce

2 tbsp Sugar

* I used Brown Sugar

A Dash of Pepper

3 tbsp Cooking Rice Wine

500ml Hot Water 

Method

Parboil meat till cook and rinse with water. 

Cut pork belly into slices, place pork belly into stew pot with ginger, garlic and shallot. Turn on low flame, add in seasoning as mentioned above. 

➰ Add in each condiment at a time .. Give quick stir whenever each condiment added in. Once done, let it boil for 5mins.

🔗 I used this method to bring out the flavor before adding water. 

Add in 500ml hot water. Bring to a light boil and let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours. 

Ragi Almond Cookies | Ragi Biscuits and MERRY CHRISTMAS

Its not going to be a white Christmas for us here. Its going to be chilly but not white like last year. We have been blessed with a beautiful weather this time but we do miss that white blanket. It just doesn't feel Christmassy. I have been cranking up my oven every single day for the past one week and pounds of butter are disappearing into cookies and cakes. I am done with all of my work, fruitcake has been baked and soaked with few coatings of rum, presents are wrapped and set under the christmas tree, cookie has been laid out for Santa though we don't have a chimney and we are all set to enjoy tomorrow. WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS and let there be joy every day. Here is a simple and healthy cookie recipe for the day.

~*What U Need*~ Sprouted ragi flour - 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour - 1/4 cup Almond powder - 1/4 cup Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup Icing sugar - 1/2 cup Baking soda - 1/8 tsp Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp Milk - 2 tbsp How I Made it: Roast ragi flour on a low flame till the raw smell goes off. Let it cool. Beat butter and powdered sugar till light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and beat well. Sieve together ragi flour, whole wheat flour, almond powder and baking soda. Add it to the butter mixture. Knead well. Add 1 tbsp of milk to make the dough pliable. If it is quite dry add another tsp of milk and work. Once it is ready, take 1 heaping tbsp of the dough and press between the palms and shape it like a cookie. Arrange the cookie on a parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve with tea or coffee.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Cutout Sugar Cookies | Christmas Cookies

Pappu's holidays have officially started. Last thursday was the last day of school and now its Christmas break. Its fun on one hand cos we can sleep in late, have fun playing but the thing is he gets bored easily. His attention span is so little and engaging him needs stamina. I have some stuff planned for us like baking cookies (!!!duh), puzzle time, sensory play and threading pasta. So lets see how everything is going to work out. Coming to these cookies, these make perfect kids activity and holiday gift cookies. Kids can help in making the dough, cutting out the shapes and then decorating it as they want to. Since I made these for a volunteer event at pappu's school, I didn't decorate them as it was planned for kids' activity. But if you are planning to decorate them then use royal icing.

~*What U Need*~ Prep time: 30 mins; Cook time: 10 mins; Serves - 2 dozen All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups Baking powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - 1/8 tsp Unsalted butter - 6 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 cup Eggs - 1 Pure vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of your standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to whisk till fully combined for about 1 minute. In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder and mix it into the egg mixture until its all combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for about an hour. Take the dough out of the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick, cut out any design with your your cookie cutter and place them on your lined baking sheet. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and allow them to cool completely.

Decorate as desired with royal icing.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!